The Labour Party congress this evening approved manifesto guidelines on education, the environment and the economy.
The guideline for education will be "For more youths to continue to study successfully".
Party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that while progress in this sector was welcomed, the country needed to do more in the education sector. He insisted that more young people needed to further their education because this was key for the generation of wealth, and also for democracy itself.
He said Malta had an unacceptably high level of illiteracy which needed to be remedied.
He also called for a new alliance between government, independent and church schools.
Former MUT president John Bencini complained that teachers were not being consulted by the authorities and decision-makers. For example, teachers were practically excluded during the drafting on the national minimum curriculum.
THE ENVIRONMENT - TOWARDS CLEANER AIR
During the workshop on the environment, the members approved a guideline "For better quality air".
Deputy leader Toni Abela said the government had had some major failures, such as its aim to reduce the number of cars on the road by reforming public transport.
He insisted that air quality needed to be better monitored and the causes of air pollution needed to be identified and tackled.
The workshop heard complaints about the black dust problem in Fgura and pollution of the air and the sea caused by the Maghtab landfill, among other points. A number of NGOs took part, with hydrologist Marco Cremona calling for greater importance to be given to the provision of water.
THE ECONOMY
When he spoke in the workshop on the economy, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said a Labour government would offer five years of tranquillity despite knowing it would face “big problems” in the country’s finances.
He said the party in government would focus its energy on creating jobs and achieving economic growth, and its policy guidelines on the economy would be based on diligence with the people’s money and economic growth that benefits all.
He said a Labour government would offer investors peace of mind and it would work hand in hand with private industry which, he said, was the key to economic growth.
“The first priority will be the creation of wealth. A Labour government will be diligent with people’s money. The new parliament, for example, was not a priority, even a child knows it, because it was not sustainable and because it did not attract any foreign investment, create long-term jobs or provide some kind of return,” he said.
He said he believed there was a bright future for the manufacturing industry in Malta and that this was the fastest and most sustainable way to attract foreign investment.
“Our policies on investment will be based the ideas rather than the nationality and Maltese investors will be given the same weight as foreign investors.”
Turning to the financial services sector, which he admitted was introduced by a Nationalist government, was working well and a Labour government will not change anything in this regard.
He said his party also believed that strategic companies such as Air Malta should be led by Maltese people who are “very capable”.
Family-run businesses are facing problems, especially with regard to succession planning. “Our tax discourages a proper succession planning and this is an area a future government will be focusing.”
Speaking about the party’s energy policy, which he said is not only about reducing electricity tariffs, Dr Muscat said this was one of the biggest problems industry was facing, along with bureaucracy and the service charge the government wanted to introduce.